Great mystery! It kept me on the edge of my seat with believable characters and settings and lots of twists and starts. I look forward to reading more stories written by Sally Rigby!

A body of a young woman is found floating in the water near Land's End. DI Lauren Pengelly and Matt Price are called to the scene and they need to determine if it was murder or not.
I enjoyed the characters and the story but it took awhile to get to the conclusion. So many things were going on and it was a bit slow for me.

Cornwall is one of my most favorite places on Earth, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read Murder at Lands End by Sally Rigby.

In this the third book of the series, Detective Inspector Lauren Pengelly and Detective Sergeant Matt Price lead the investigation into the murder of a young woman, whose body was found on the rocks off the coast of Lands End, the western most point in Cornwall and the most southwesterly point on the British mainland.

As I hadn’t read the previous installments of the series, I was amused to read that Price, a young widower relatively new to the Penzance police station, has an aversion to dead bodies. I imagined it presenting itself much the way the blood aversion affects Doc Martin, in the series by the same name, set in Port Wenn (actually Port Isaac), also in Cornwall. However, his voice in my head sounded more like Ralf Little, who portrays DI Neville Parker in Death in Paradise.

The cryptic phrase, “Men must work and women must weep,” was found on a piece of paper in the victim’s mouth. While it took me only seconds with a Google search to learn that the phrase was taken from The Three Fishers, a poem by Charles Kingsley, Pengelly put a member of her team into investigating its meaning, making it seem a little unrealistic to me.

I enjoyed the premise, the setting and the characters but the story, however, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Even with the discovery of a second body, more suspects, a tricky family crisis for Pengelly, the overdone narration and not enough of a twist at the end, left me feeling like there was something missing. I so wanted to love Murder at Land’s End.

I received this advanced reader copy of Murder at Land’s End from Storm Publishing, courtesy of NetGalley.

When a murder evokes the mystery of Land's End, it draws the police investigation team led by Di Lauren Pengelley and DS Matt Price into a particularly poignant crime. The story focuses on the two detectives' increasingly close working dynamic, with Lauren relying on Matt for leadership advice that has made her team more cohesive. The investigation twists when another crime occurs, but the plot keeps its secrets well, with many false leads and a cast of suspects that keeps expanding. I like the coastal theme of the story, the characterisation and the immersive investigation, which is addictive reading.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I have read the other two books in the series and looked forward to reading this one. It would be possible to read as a standalone book but the characters are developing and its easier to understand the relationships if one has read the whole series.

This book did not disappoint - two murders - what is the connection?
And based in picturesque Cornwall - once again this is a well researched well written Police procedural novel
It would provide spoilers to say much more and this book is well worth a read. Its keeps you gripped right to the end.
And leaves a cliffhanger - will Lauren and Matt develop a relationship or remain colleagues or even friends?

A real page turner

The third book in the Cornwall Murder Mystery series but the first one I have read. It still worked as a standalone.

Detective Lauren Pengelly and D.S Matt Price are called out to an apparent drowning which turns out to be murder. The victim is a young woman from the local area who sometimes crews for a fishing boat. Investigations begin but then a second woman is found murdered in the same way and the hunt is on to find the person responsible before they kill again.

I enjoyed the Cornish setting, the mystery and the police work. I sometimes felt that there was a little too much time spent on describing how everyone was feeling which slowed down the pace unnecessarily, but maybe that's just me! I would still happily read another book from the series.

This the second Cornwall murder mystery by Sally Rigby I have read and I enjoyed this book as much as the first. You can almost feel yourself transported to a fishing boat on the Cornish coast such is the quality of the descriptive text. Using female fishermen in the story was an interesting plot decision and it worked for me. Looking forward to reading more from Sally Rigby. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Detectives Lauren Pengelly and Matt Price were called to the Cornwall coast at Land's End where the body of a young woman had been found on the rocks. The initial thought of a drowning was ruled out when it became obvious her death was murder. As evidence was uncovered, it became apparent the young woman had worked on the overnight fishing vessels a couple of nights a week, along with her day job. She was enthusiastic; everyone said she was loving the experience. But when another young woman's body was discovered in the same circumstances as the first, Lauren and Matt knew they needed to work harder and faster.

Lauren and her team were working well together; their DCI approved Lauren's plans. But when things pointed in a different direction entirely, their shock and then understanding saw them coming closer to a conclusion. But would they catch the killer before another victim was murdered?

Murder at Land's End is the 3rd in the Cornwall Murder Mystery series by Sally Rigby and I enjoyed it very much. The ending felt rushed though, and there were a couple of threads that weren't tied up. Hopefully that will occur in the next edition. Lauren and Matt's characters are great, although Billy is annoying! Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Pengelly and Price are called to a body found on a beach, thought to be a drowning, both of them, and the responding officers think that something is off so no one is surprised when the pathologist tells them it is murder. When the body of another woman is found a day later, they wonder if the person responsible has problems with women in the fishing industry. Their enquiries lead them around the Land's end area and beyond as it slowly becomes clear who is responsible and why.
A nice quick read which follows on from the previous books seamlessly.

This is the first book I've read in this series, and I found it easy to fall into. We follow Detective Lauren Pengalley and Deputy Matt Price as they investigate the suspicious death of a young woman seeming washed ashore;. Some evidence on her body leads our main characters down a twisty road where a lot of people are acting very suspiciously and hiding things.

I liked the characters a lot. Matt's daughter was an adorable spitfire and she was definitely a scene stealer. I thought the mystery was well put together and kept me guessing. The ending did feel a bit rushed, and a bit anticlimactic but I think everything that came before was pretty good so I would continue this series and look forward to seeing what kind of case Matt and Lauren will be investigating next.

Lauren and Matt are facing another intriguing case, two women were killed, posed, and left with part of a poem inside their mouth. The poem is a sexist one as it implies women should stay at home and not work on fishing boats. They'll run through many leads that will only prove them wrong until, unexpectedly, they find the one that will lead them to the killer. A story full of action and mystery that kept me reading nonstop. It's also rewarding to see how the characters grew through the stories in this series as people do in real life. Really entertaining!
I thank Ms. Righby, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I have read other books in this series and so I enjoyed the way the team has grown and come together since the first book. Saying that it could also be read as a standalone as completely different cases in each book. In this one suspects kept coming up, so I wasn't sure who I thought had done it. One of my guesses proved correct in the end, but I won't say who. The characters were all written well so seemed believable and the plot also added more background to one of the main characters. A book I enjoyed reading

This was a good cozy mystery. The characters were well developed and I liked the premise of the story. This was the third book in the #cornwallmurdermystery series. I haven’t read the first two, but there wasn’t a continuity issue at all. I liked the dual point of views between the two lead detectives.
That being said, I never really connected with book. There was never a moment where I became invested in the outcome or worried about any of the characters. On the plus side, I didn’t see the ending coming and I liked all of the characters. 3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Murder at Land’s End” by Sally Rigby is the third installment in the captivating Cornwall Murder Mystery series. With a jaw-dropping twist and a vivid coastal setting, this crime thriller keeps readers turning the pages .

The crashing waves, sparkling like diamonds across the beach, frame the discovery of a young woman’s body on the rocks at Land’s End, Cornwall. Detective Lauren Pengelly and her deputy, Matt Price, are thrust into a complex investigation. Sophie Bethany Yates, known around the docks, harbored secrets that her family never suspected. As the team delves deeper, they uncover unexpected connections and cryptic messages.

Over the course of the series, DI Lauren Pengelly undergoes a remarkable transformation. Her mellowing demeanor positively impacts team dynamics and camaraderie. Rigby skillfully portrays the evolution of her characters, making them relatable , human and likeable.

Rigby weaves an intricate web of secrets, red herrings, and unexpected twists. The sexist attitudes prevalent in the fishing industry add depth to the narrative.

The inclusion of “The Three Fishers” by Charles Kingsley enhances the reading experience, tying the past to the present.

The rugged beauty of Cornwall serves as a vivid backdrop. The crashing waves, hidden coves, and rocky cliffs create an immersive atmosphere.

Land’s End itself becomes a character—a place where secrets surface and justice seeks its course.

Sophie’s hidden life unfolds gradually, revealing layers of complexity. Her bruises and the slip of paper hidden in her mouth hint at a deeper mystery.

The message—“Men must work and women must weep” (in the story this was seen as cryptic but it is immediately obvious what was meant by the message) adds an eerie dimension to the investigation.

Problems with investigation issues - Lack of knowledge of murder investigation and the roles of the police versus the medical examiner should have been caught by the editor as the book was reviewed. A seasoned police officer would NOT ask an examiner to tell them if fingerprints were "made by a female or a male" . For one thing, safe to assume the perp is male. Also, obviously the medical examiner cannot determine gender via fingerprints or fingerprint size. In this book, the medical examiner said that because the fingerprints bruises on the neck of the first victim were large, they were "likely made by a male," thereby decreasing the number of suspects. However, the mere act of strangulation, 96% which are committed by males, does this. Due to these statistics, strangling is a "gendered crime" and considered performed by a male unless evidence strongly and conclusively points to a female (with sufficient upper body strength to overpower another physically).

Few murders are even committed by females (134.7%} versus male. On the rare occasion the females typically chose poisonings, shootings, or murders that do not involve brute strength.. These facts are what should have narrowed down the suspect pool , rather than the "size of fingerprints" in strangulation.

Due to statistics, unless otherwise STRONGLY indicated any seasoned cop would assume murder was committed by a man, hand-down if victim is physically overpowered...

Other police procedural scenarios similarly caused me to shake my head in dismay, as they easily could have been revised had the author (or at least the editor) done minor due diligence research.

For example a cop would NEVER ever ask A Medical Examiner to interpret a message (an obvious message, that barely needed interpretation BTW) shoved down the throat of a victim (which once again points to a male perp, females seldom secrete a message in a victim's body orifices).Even junior murder investigators realize that is NOT the role of a medical examiner, but their job.

It is not a mystery that the message pointed to gender roles, it was obvious by the message - which pointed, once again, directly to a male perp with a problem with women working in the fishing industry. I wish these glaring issues would have been caught by the author, a mystery pre-reader, or the edutor. Also, a medical examiner does need to "define" what petechiae is, any one who has watched a murder show knows what that is, and anyone who doesn't can look it up if this is the first mystery they have ever read that involves victim oxygen deprivation.

Those issues kept me (they were all glaringly obvious and significant) from rating this book five-stars.

However, the pacing of this story is solid and the tension escalates with each new revelation.

The denouement delivers a heart-pounding climax that leaves no room for respite

 “Murder at Land’s End” is a masterfully crafted mystery, blending suspense, emotion, and unforgettable characters, however it could have been even better with a few minor tweaks. I hope the author chooses seasoned mystery fans or retired police professionals for early first readers in the future.

I’ll start by saying I haven’t read the first two books in this series, so that may have affected my feelings towards this book. It was ok, definitely not a favorite but I was interested enough to stick with it and finish it. British police procedurals are a favorite genre of mine, and while I did like how the team appeared to have grown in cohesiveness, one detective in particular just bugged me as he would grab on to each suspect of the minute as the killer without thinking through motive or ability. Rather than have several suspects at any given time he just seemed to latch on to the most recent suspect as ‘the one’ . The investigative procedures seemed shallow to me, and comments like they needed to find any possible connections between the two victims, when in fact they had gone to school together, the connection was pretty obvious. DS Matt Price was likable and had an interesting background, his struggle to have a family life while being a police officer added a warmth to the story.,
While not my first choice of a series it was pleasant enough (but please stop having characters constantly tapping or drumming their fingers!).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

My first book by Sally Rigby. This book was a hit for me right out of the gate. Not one of those quick to solve mysteries. Really enjoyable. Well done.

Love the Pengelly and Price series. Plenty of thrills and a quick and easy read. Great characters. Enjoy the style of writing. Plenty to keep you enthralled. Look forward to the next instalment. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for chance to review it.

Cornish-coast, families, family-drama, family-dynamics, fishing-community, investigations, local-law-enforcement, murders, Penzance, pet-dog, procedural, read, suspense, teamwork, thriller, unputdownable*****

DI Lauren Pengelly was recently transferred to this assignment as was her DS Matt Price who is recently widowed with a small child. The first body was found at the shore at Land's End and things went downhill from there. But. The team really is and their cooperative efforts brought the suspense to a surprising end. Great read!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Murder at Land's End is A Cornwall Murder Mystery Book 3 by Sally Rigby. It was lovely to catch up with DI Lauren Pengelly, DS Matt Price and the rest of the Penzance team. It begins with a body of a young woman found at Land's End. How did she end up here? Why did this happen? Who is the person involved? Lauren and Matt are tasked with finding out. They soon discover the name of the victim - Bethany Yates. Bethany's friend Imogen Halford points them in Samuel Finch's direction as he is Bethany's boyfriend. However, all is now how it seems, when a second young woman's body is found. How are the crimes connected? Lauren and the team over a course of days investigate and in a satisfying conclusion, the killer is unmasked. I loved how it was written - fast paced and enjoyable with great descriptions of characters and locations.

*I have not read the first two books in A Cornwall Murder Mystery Series*

Despite this being the third book in the series, I think it could easily be read as a standalone. I did miss some context here and there but overall it did not affect my reading experience.
Murder at Land's End revolves around Detective Lauren Pengally and Deputy Matt Price. You also get a great insight into their team as a whole. Each person on the team has their niche, personality-wise. Rigby did a great job bringing the characters to life. I sometimes had to eye roll at the dialogue between characters. It got a little much sometimes, especially Pengally's character. It was minimal enough that the book was still a great read.

The plot is pretty cut and dry. There was no big twist that had my jaw on the floor, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. While I wouldn't call Murder at Land's End a thrilling read the plot is fast-paced. The progression of the case is quick and there is no lag. I've had a busy couple of weeks and finding time to read has been a challenge, but I constantly felt the need to pick this book back up. I knew if I had even ten minutes to read the case would progress, it made it easy to prioritize. The case is wrapped up at about 85% through the book. The next 5% is them celebrating a case well done, naturally. The last 10% was disappointing. Pengalley and Price confront someone who is threatening Pengalley's family but it all feels rushed. Like Rigby forgot that element of the plot until she had all but finished the book and knew she had to wrap up that plotline so the reader isn't left hanging. It winded down the pace I had come to love throughout the rest of the book.

Murder at Land's End was a great read that I would recommend to mystery lovers as both a standalone or part of a series. This book is set in the UK so the verbiage and actions of the police force are quite different from what you could be used to. It also revolves around the fishing industry, if that is an interest of yours I am sure you'll love this read.

I want to extend a big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Murder at Land's End!